"Heh…"
Five hundred thousand ryo.
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow, bemused by Tsunade's confidence in setting such a high commission. He took the scroll and skimmed it.
"Hyuga Shinki, the one you took under your wing? I recall he has bloodline degeneration."
Orochimaru's keen memory didn't fail him as he recognized the name.
"What do you mean 'took under my wing'? I didn't officially take him in. I just taught him whenever I had spare time, and it turns out the kid's talented—more so than I expected."
When Tsunade spoke of Shinki, pride tinged her voice. Though he wasn't officially her disciple, she had mentored him, and he was someone she recognized as worth boasting about.
"He needs a lot of animal corpses... for experiments?" Orochimaru's eyes gleamed, thinking he might have found a kindred spirit.
"No, he's into puppets lately," Tsunade explained, dashing Orochimaru's assumption. "He's a medical ninja, and with his blood condition, he wants puppets for protection. Animal corpses are more practical and cheaper than using ninja corpses or expensive custom parts."
"Puppets?" Orochimaru's surprise was evident.
"What's the level of creatures needed?" He tucked the scroll away, already seeing the potential benefits. Tsunade was right; he was well-suited for this kind of mission.
It was lucrative, quicker than taking high-risk assignments, and much simpler. The forests of the Land of Fire were teeming with strange, formidable creatures. This could be a profitable venture, even after paying Tsunade's commission.
"The stronger, the better. And make sure the species vary. Don't just bring back snakes," Tsunade added with a pointed look.
"Understood," Orochimaru said with a smirk, raising two fingers.
"Two hundred thousand?" Tsunade's smile turned sharp. "Orochimaru, who negotiates like that?"
"Then I'll take this to Sensei Sarutobi and handle it directly through the Hokage's office."
Five hundred thousand? No way. Two hundred thousand would do, or he'd bypass her altogether.
"You..."
Tsunade's eyes flashed with irritation, fists clenching.
"Fine! Two hundred thousand ryo. Deal."
Two hundred thousand ryo for a long-term mission was a steal for Orochimaru. He knew that Shinki's salary from working at Konoha Hospital would likely cover the cost, provided Orochimaru paced himself.
He valued steady income over quick gains, and as long as the debt wasn't to Tsunade, delayed payments were fine. Beyond the money, Orochimaru was intrigued by Shinki and wanted to learn more about him.
Perhaps they could become kindred spirits in research.
If Shinki were serious about curing his blood condition, he would inevitably be drawn to experimentation and research. That would be Orochimaru's chance.
A Hyuga bloodline condition was bound to be fascinating.
---
After a long day, it was time to leave work. The patient assignments were complete, and Shinki and Tsunade left the hospital together.
Unlike the Uchiha district's hustle and bustle or the Hyuga clan's stern grandeur, the Senju ancestral home was quiet and somber.
Senju Tobirama's strict policies had scattered civilian members of the Senju clan throughout the village, preventing any concentrated gathering. The ancestral grounds were now one of Konoha's most guarded areas, snuffing out any hopes of revival for the once-great clan.
"It's quiet, isn't it?" Tsunade said as she caught Shinki glancing around.
"In his effort to keep the Hokage position impartial, the Second Hokage had to break up the family and integrate them into civilian life, leaving only the ancestral home and abandoning the Senju name."
"Now, it's just a handful of mainline family members left."
"The Second Hokage was a man of conviction."
Shinki could only admire Senju Tobirama's boldness, though his methods were harsh. He was likely the only one who could make such a sacrifice for the village's stability.
"He had no choice," Tsunade said. "Grandma once told me that if he hadn't taken those steps, the village would have lost its balance, with the Senju clan overpowering the others, against Grandfather's wishes."
Tsunade remembered her childhood when the stern Second Hokage indulged her, even though he was strict. At that time, she thought he was overly harsh. As she grew older, she understood why he did what he did.
The Senju clan's power had reached its peak. Without changes, Konoha would become a village ruled by the Senju. Civilian and other ninja clans would be reduced to subordinates.
The larger clans—like the Hyuga, Uchiha, Sarutobi, Shimura, and the Ino-Shika-Cho alliance—would never accept that.
Senju Tobirama faced a dilemma: either disband the clan's unity to prevent an uprising or continue down the path of domination, forcing the other clans to band together and resist.
He chose to civilianize the clan to avoid that fate.
In hindsight, it would have been better if the Second Hokage had come from another family to curb the Senju's influence. But with both the First and Second Hokage from the Senju, the clan's ambition grew.
Hashirama and Tobirama managed to control it while they lived. But if they were gone, Konoha would face upheaval. Whether Hiruzen Sarutobi could have become the Third Hokage was doubtful.
---
"Grandma, I'm back," Tsunade called as she entered the ancestral house, Shinki following her into the yard.
The Anbu watching over the estate exchanged glances, eyes wide.
Was that Hyuga Shinki?
Why was he at the Senju ancestral home?
"Report to Hokage-sama."
Even if Shinki was considered somewhat connected through Tsunade, he was still a member of the Hyuga clan. His presence here would not go unnoticed by the Hokage's office.
---
"I'm back," Uzumaki Mito said with a warm smile as they entered. Her gaze settled on Shinki.
"Mito-sama, I'm Hyuga Shinki. It's an honor to meet you," Shinki said, bowing respectfully.
He deeply respected Uzumaki Mito. She was a revered figure.
"You look well," Mito said, her smile deepening. "No wonder Tsunade and Kushina enjoy spending time with you."
---